Choosing the Good

I used to tell my teenage daughters, “You pay a price for every choice you make—good or bad.” I recalled that statement last December when Nelson Mandela died. He chose to resist South African apartheid, and it landed him in jail for 27 years. He befriended his oppressors rather than hate them. He worked for national unity rather than keep the flames of division alive. In this way, without mentioning God, he embodied Christ’s message of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Today’s second reading says, “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.” Mandela’s steep price for doing good rarely is a price we’re asked to pay. But every day we make small choices. Now what I tell my grandchildren is this: “Do what would make Jesus smile.”

Prayer: Jesus, I want to make You smile. Help me choose good today—and every day.